Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-01
OPENING THE NIGHT SCHOOLS.
Old Aud Young Join Hands In Oh
Pursuit. Of KmOWlcd1e


Pursuit. Of Knowledge
THE SCENE LAST MIGHT IN ne FRANKLIN BUILDING
SOME or THE PUPrLs-aow Trey ARE GRADED
THE METHOD OF INTERSECTION, ETC.
Aspirants for knowledge began assembling in
front Of the Franklin Building last night as early
as 8 30 O'Clock. The only signs OF life about the
great building was dim Light in the third story.
II had been announced that the night schools
would open at O'Clock, and those who had come
there early had to wait In the cold outside Inside
the building Mr.. Clark, the principal; Mr.. Shedd,
| the janitof, and Miss Pittiss, teacher were en-
gagged In preparing the rooms In the third story
the use OF the night school The rooms presented
an Inviting appearance with their long rows -.
desks, and line Of blackboards encirclinR them
like hugh nboon.
| ADMITTING TIE PUPILS.
About fifteen minutes before seven everything was
in readiness and at Prncip Clarks order the front
door was opened and the crowd Of cage applicants
| MED In, with eyes made bright ana cheeks blown
se1 oy the wind outside. At u table on the second
| In front OF him. As each person Approached Mr..
| Shedd asked his name, age and occupation. The
npp n,s s, were as rule, Intelligent looking
| walks OF Life
| SOME OF TIE APPLICANTS
| mere. oeslde q trim-ooking, red-cheeked work.
Ing GIRL stood tall man Of grave appearance, who
daily goes TO the Interior Department, where he
n noIds good position. AT another side stood q
ouIcner, and near him was a little fellow wearing
blue jacket with brass outtons One OF the first
hat q last years sum srn young man man wearing SIX
middie-aged woman with a face that told story
~ S poverty. In low tones she told
Inc next q line Is man apparently about forty
years old, his face begrimed with toll and scanned
ana furrowed by exposure. As fast as their names,
"a ia
tney were sent, I'd In hand, 10 the floor above.
KxAxrsINo THE PUPILS.
There. at the head OF the steps, stood the princi-
pal Mr. Clark, with long, thin tablet in his left
! hand and lead pencil in the other. Mr. CLARK
LOOK from the applicants their cards, ana by the
ald OF the little Information written thereon
divided the crow into three sections Arithmetic
was mad the basis OF division, and according to
lne knowledge or wishes Of each applicant he
was, aiter depostttng his or her hat and coat in
the nall, directed TO go into OF the three rooms
anu tnere toid 70 take seat at one OF the desas.
The method OF ascertaininx their knowledge was
necessarily varied and adapted u the case I'm hand.
40 tne youth or miss OF fifteen and thereabOuts
lne questions were usually, "Were you here last
year," slave you ever been here before?" or
nave you attended the public schoois?" II the
answers TO the nrst two questions the mega
tive, the candidate was asked as to his knowledge
or arithmetic. Could he add fractions, or had ne
ev . studied percentage and interest? II the an
swers 10 tis question were In the Affirmative, Mr.
Clark marked the card three, tossed it Tito a
box which stood behind him, and told the person
answers
the questions were I'm the negative speaker was
directed either 10 the middle or number stwo- ROOM
or the last room on the right or number some"
question was, usually, 'sWhen did you stuIy
arithmetic last7" Almost Invariably the person TO
wnom II was addressed received II with some en-
DarraSSInenL and hesit alton, and looked ASHAMED.
Finally me answer Was eicited that they had not
.done anything In that line" for wears. When Iur-
they wished to begin to study. they reo,ied sat
the beginning and go right through" These were
sent lnto either the number Il" or number '.2,"
room, where oftentimes man or woman OF mature
years Was seated beside youth OF tender years
and short trowSerS
THE INSTRUCTION
As time wore on and The Instruction commenced
the feeling OF embarrassment which oppressed
many wore on and they were soon deeply engrossed
In getting an dedication" By half past the
rooms were comfortably filled and the instruction
Was commenced In the room where whiting was
taught Miss PittIss presided t the desks and Miss
Garrison ami Miss HaItison taught LANGUAGE and
arithmetic, respectively. Common addition and
simple propositions engaged The attention OF the
rlsons the scholars, big and little, pored over the
history OF america MT. Clark said to a STAR
rep1rter r., last night; In everything but arth
same The assignment Of candidate TO
the or second grade is no indication that their
knowledge Is lower. except In arithmetic" There
were several fore1 Sners In attendance last night
they came mainly TO be taught writing and
language. The subject OF instruction IN each room
-
evening OF two hours length the scholars in each
room Will have instruction for an equal length OF
tune In arithmetic, language, -1story, reading aud
writing.
THE ATTENDANCE
at the Franklin But. ding wa, quite large there
being about ninety pupils accommodated Their
ages anged from thir. cen years to forty and their
occupations as Civ were various. Clerks formed
the greater proportion, and the remainder were
messengers, statesmen, saleswomen, carpenters
masons, butchers, dentists, cOnrectIoners bakers
plumbers, stone-cutters, &c.
The seneS at the FranAiln building last NIGHT
were repeated AZ the other buildings where DiSht
senools were opened AT the Henry school there
were ~ pupils enrolled, at the Walach IS, and at
the Jefferson 80. In the cOlored Schools nIoat
schOOls were opened last nigut In the Stevens
Garnet, COOK, Lincoln and Randall buildings Al
some OF these buildings there was a good attend
ance Night schools were org 4niLed 10 the county
at the Mott school near Howard University and AZ
the Hilsdale school
A WIFE's SCIr FOR DrvORcg.-To-day Mr. Eliza
De b Coleman, by Mr. A. X. Browne filed a bill
az INST Henry Coleman for y divorce. The coin
pialnantS maiden name was aw and they were
married June 80, 1864, and have three children
sue charges CRUEL treatment, non-suppOrt and de-
sertion over two years since, specifying instances
OF assault, and that he toOS from her $50 OF her
own ndrd earnings and drove her from her home
No. 424 L street.
HCFTY DYER call tine attention of parties de-
slri0g nrSt-cdSs furnished house to their adyer.
tlsement In The "For Rent" co.umn.